Technology giant Google has committed $600,000 to support initiatives aimed at protecting Nigerian children from online dangers and promoting safer internet use.
The support will fund research into the digital experiences of young Nigerians and provide online safety training for teachers, parents, caregivers and young people.
The initiatives, announced by Google, will be implemented through the TechSocietal Development Foundation and Tech Hive Advisory.
Under the arrangement, Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, is providing $550,000 in direct funding and $50,000 in Google Ad Grants to the TechSocietal Development Foundation.
The foundation will use the support to conduct what is described as Nigeria’s first nationwide baseline study of digital risks facing adolescents.
The research will involve 2,000 teenagers drawn from the country’s six geopolitical zones, with the aim of understanding their internet experiences and identifying the risks they encounter online.
Beyond the research, TechSocietal will deliver its Safety First curriculum to 5,000 teachers and school administrators.
It will also train 200 community champions, who are expected to extend online safety awareness to as many as 10,000 parents and caregivers.
In a related development, Google is introducing its Meet LEO programme, meaning Learn and Explore Online, to Nigeria.
The programme marks its first pilot in Sub-Saharan Africa and will be delivered by Tech Hive Advisory across four states.
It is expected to train 500 educators and youth leaders on how to establish digital safety guidelines and use protective tools, including Google Family Link, SafeSearch and YouTube Supervised Experiences.
The trained participants will subsequently share the knowledge with another 2,500 students and community members.
Speaking on the initiative, Google Nigeria Country Director, Olumide Balogun, said protecting children online should not prevent them from benefiting from the educational and developmental opportunities offered by the internet.
He stressed the importance of collaboration among technology companies, parents, educators and communities in creating a safer digital environment for children.
Also commenting, National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji, said protecting minors online required collective responsibility from government agencies, technology platforms, educators and families.
The intervention comes amid growing concerns about children’s exposure to online dangers.
Recent public consultations conducted by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission reportedly found that 93.5 per cent of Nigerians were concerned about online harms affecting minors.
Google said the latest commitments build on more than $3.5 million it has provided for online safety initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa since 2020.
According to the company, its previous interventions have reached 2.3 million Nigerians through 10 local organisations, while more than 43,000 young people have received training through Junior Achievement Africa.
